Intro: You are probably familiar with the beer scientist, my bro Mike, but this is my official debut on Thank Heaven for Beer as Rich, the Beer Connoisseur. As most of you know, Mike left cold, cloudy Indiana for warm, sunny California. I am still in the frigid Midwest, but with my location, I have access to local breweries and their seasonal releases. One of these local goodies is Upland Brewery, out of Bloomington, IN. I am only a short trip away, so when Mike told me to check out their seasonal release of Teddy Bear Kisses Imperial Stout, I made it a point to grab a growler (they only sell glasses at the brewery, NOT this time). Teddy Bear Kisses? Sounds like a chocolaty gift you would give a significant other around Valentines Day, doesn’t it? Well, it’s not Valentine’s Day, nor a chocolaty gift I handed out. It is a sweet Imperial Stout that I had a chance to check out and share with you.

Pour: When I first poured the Teddy Bear Kisses into my glasses, I instantly noticed a dark, murky color. This beer is far from transparent. I was a bit surprised the beer wasn’t that thick in consistency and didn’t temporarily stain my glass, like other Imperial Stouts do. This beer resembled motor oil that hadn’t been changed in about 50,000 miles from an old clunker. The head was beige in color, similar to sand, and didn’t stick around too long.

Nose:  Teddy Bear Kisses has a lot going on. The very first thing I picked up on was the sweet smell of molasses. To me, this was by FAR the most prevalent smell. Also, the smell of alcohol was quite present at first sniff. Another interesting note on the nose was a fruit of some sort. I want to say the fruit was similar to that of a cherry. Of course, I picked up on the coffee and cocoa undertones. Overall, Upland’s Teddy Bear Kisses was pleasing on the nose.

Taste:  This is my favorite part of the review! Even though Teddy Bear Kisses wasn’t as thick as most Imperial Stouts I’ve had, it still had the thickness that let’s you know you are drinking a full, rich beer. The molasses that was present on the nose was just as noticeable on the tongue and provided a sweet, smoky flavor. Alcohol? Definitely. Alcohol was definitely incorporated in the taste. The slight hint of fruit came back full circle along with malty, coffee and cocoa flavors. Another taste I picked up was a bready aftertaste. With each sip, it felt like I had eaten some full-grain bread. Bitterness? I would say it was in the middle of the road. The beer’s finish wasn’t too dry and didn’t leave me thirsty after a drink.

Overall Thoughts:  Overall, I think Upland’s Teddy Bear Kisses is an alright beer. It’s hard to identify exactly what was missing, but I can say that there were some things a bit too overwhelming. I think the taste of molasses (sweet/sour/smoky) was way overbearing and the presence of the alcohol took away from other flavors coming through. I would definitely get it again if I stopped at Upland to grab a bit to eat, but I wouldn’t search Indiana high and low to find it. I hope you have found this review helpful and I look forward to making another appearance in the near future.

Rich’s Rating:

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★¼☆ 

Among other Imperial Stouts: ★★★☆☆ 

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Guest Beer Review by Andrea, wife of the Beer Scientist

Let me begin by saying that I’m nuts about nuts (clarification: I want to unequivocally declare that I am referring to food here).  Whether that’s raw, whole almonds; peanut butter; Nutella; or brown rice green tea with its nutty undertones–if it’s got that nutty quality, you can bet I’ll love it.

So it should come as no surprise that I positively enjoy Newcastle’s “One and Only” Ale, often referred to as a Nut Brown Ale (or “Dog” by imbibers closer to home). And here is why:

The Pour: Characteristic of a brown ale, Newcastle’s color definitely falls between the pale ale and porter range with its copper-red body. The active, tiny bubbles from the carbonation quickly dissipated the creamy, white head but also seemed to maintain a thin, white rim along the edge of the glass—foam that reformed every time the brew swished around. This also contributed to creating some lovely, white lacing.

The Nose: The Brown Ale was minimal on the nose, which may have been compounded by the fact that the beer was fairly cold after a few days in the fridge. About all I picked up were alcohol dryness, slight metallic qualities, and a light maltiness. Mike also helped me recognize the scents of a grapish yeast strain.

The Taste: Most memorably, Newcastle’s Brown Ale finished with a very nutty (closest to hazelnut?) aftertaste. It retained those slight metallic qualities that were present on the nose, as well as some bitterness in the middle of the taste that seemed to be emphasized by the dense carbonation.

Overall, I would describe the beer as simple and straightforward. A good California metaphor might be that drinking Newcastle’s Brown Ale is like ordering the Hamburger Combo at In-N-Out rather than the 4×4 or Animal Style burger—in other words, just the basics. Although it lacks a range of complexity, it is well-balanced with some nice sweetness and the nuttiness that I so love. I definitely recommend enjoying it just chilled so as not to miss the subtleties.

Oh, and an added bonus: if you’re a resident of the UK, Channel Islands, or Isle of Man (shout out to Mel and Christine!), you can get a sweet Newcastle schooner glass for free (well, as free as free is these days, a.k.a., with tokens from the promotional 4-packs). Details at http://www.newcastlebrownale.co.uk/.

Andrea’s Rating

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★★☆ 

Among other Brown Ales: ★★★¾☆ 

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It’s that time of year, my friends. Summer is coming to a close and Fall is upon us. The days are getting shorter, the propane in the BBQ grille is getting lower, and the beer offerings by brewers are getting darker. Oktoberfest is just around the corner …

In that spirit, many breweries release seasonal beers that are available only for a limited time frame. Pyramid’s Juggernaut – an American Red Ale – is a “Fall seasonal” beer that is only offered during the months of August and September. Juggernaut melds caramel malts and two varieties of northwest hops.

What is a “juggernaut?” It’s a “massive, inexorable force that crushes everything in its way.” At 5.6% ABV, this Juggernaut is a bit tame as far as its name is concerned. Let’s just see what’s lurking inside the 12-ounce bottle. (The beer is also available in a 22-ounce bomber.)

The Pour:

Ah … this is a very pretty beer. Juggernaut pours with a deep, rich, red body. A two-finger thick, eggshell-white head gets its foam fuel from a constant stream of medium-sized bubbles. (Take your time with the pour as the carbonation in this beer could produce a foam fest.) There’s also a wee bit of lacing left behind after each sip.

The Aroma:

Juggernaut is built on a malt foundation of 2 Row, Carared, C-120, Carafa II, and roasted barley that’s bolstered by Simcoe and Cascade hops. Make no mistake: this is a Pacific Northwest brew. As soon as you pop the cap, the ever cliché citrus, grapefruit and pine tones are present, as well as some malt sweetness.

The Taste:

Ready. Set. Sip. My taste buds confirmed the presence of grapefruit, pine nuts, and maybe even a smidgeon of guava. Mid sip, caramel malts made an appearance — and then finally, a malty, pine-like spice lingered momentarily post-sip. Despite the hop presence, Juggernaut is fairly balanced, however, at 45 out of a possible 100 IBUs (International Bitterness Units).

Overall Thoughts:

In a subtle way, Juggernaut reminds me of a former “Sip with Us Saturday” beer: Stone Brewing Co’s 13th Anniversary Ale. If you’ve tried the Stone 13th, imagine a lighter beer version of it. Granted, Stone’s is an Imperial Double Red, so one would expect a bolder flavor. Juggernaut has a very similar taste profile, but it lacks the body and stickiness from tons of citrus/pine-hop infusion. (Come to think of it, Stone should have named their beer “Juggernaut.”)

Juggernaut is a respectable red ale that is a good warm up for transitioning from lighter, Summer-style beers to the darker, thicker styles of Winter. It has enough body and hop presence to break in your palette slowly to the bolder flavors of bigger, bad-weather beers, while it is light enough to still be somewhat “sessionable.”

Before I wrap up and send the bottle to the RECYCLE bin, allow me to say “thanks” to Nate and Mike for allowing me to do this guest beer review. Nate: thanks for calling me a fellow “Beer Geek” in your last “Sip with Us Saturday” post. I’m not sure I’ve attained such status yet, but the fact that I just bought my first bottle of $18 beer yesterday hints that I may be very close to succumbing to the coveted title.

Cheers, guys!

Scotts Rating:

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★½☆ 

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MIKE LOVES BEER

*Name* – Old Stock Ale
*Country* – United States
*Type* – Old Ale

*Appearance* – Poured a clear, deep ruby red color with a small head that was gone very quickly.

*Smell* – A very complex nose here while you get big whiffs of alcohol you also pick up sweet malt smells of raisins, caramel and a slight bit of granny smith apple I was getting.

*Taste* – It’s a very thick and syrupy feel that starts off with those sweet malt flavors up front then you are hit with a big alcohol bite at the end and it lingers for a few seconds afterward.

I said to myself that I had to go back and try some things I had awhile ago and see if my taste has matured any. I really didn’t like this when I first tried it and I don’t even think I finished the beer. This time around I made it through and enjoyed it a little bit but the alcohol burn was just to overwhelming at the end. This is especially true the more the beer warms up.

*Overall Grade* – C-

THANK HEAVEN FOR BEER (NATE)

The Pour:

Upon opening two bottles of 2008 Old Stock(one for me and my good buddy), a strange anomoly occurred.  After sitting for a few seconds before pouring, foam started poking out of the neck of the bottle.  Did North coast over carbonate?  Pours a deep, almost red wine-like, mahogany.  For a big beer, it is exceptionally clear.  Thin bubbles from the center of the glass struggle to find the surface.  This stuff is going to be thick and sticky!  Despite the foam monster I saw after prying the cap off, there is minimal head.  Perhaps an inch of off white, slightly green in color, sticky foam, that vanished quickly leaving behind pretty lacing.

The Aroma:

Big sweet malt flavors bombard the nose at first smell.  Typical to style are toffee and caramel notes.  The toasted malt lends to burnt sugar aroma.  Sweet fruit smells are present.  I picked up on candy/maraschino cherries, candied apples, raisins, and a bit of pepper.  There is a liquor quality to this, reminiscent of vodka, maybe even brandy.

The Taste:

The thick sweet liquid is overwhelmingly malty.  The toasted quality the malt is very apparent up front, giving this beer a slight graham cracker flavor.   Sweet apples, a little grape quality, and whole bunch of caramel flavors tingle the tongue.  Towards the back of the tongue a mild hop flavor begins to balance sweetness of the beer.  As the beer slides down the throat, I realize this beer is still young, as the hot alcohol finish is more pronounced than other beers I’ve had boasting a 12.5% ABV.  This is not to be taken negatively.  In fact, it aides in balancing the beer.  The mouth-feel is gorgeous.  Smooth and creamy, with greater than expected fizziness.

Overall:

I think this is a great beer, but needs to sit in my cellar an mellow for a bit longer.  The malt punch needs to be emphasized while the alcoholic finish needs to obscure, and only time will tell the greatness of the beer.  I am willing to bet that in a year or two, after drinking another bottle, this beer will gain a bit.

Nate’s Rating:

To accommodate Mike’s rating system, I’m forgoing the star system on this post:

I give Old Stock Ale a B+

Mike:  C-

Nate:  B+

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Packaging

For my shipping, I buy the Duck brand bubble wrap at Wal-Mart for $10-$11. It’s 100 square feet, perforated every 12”, and I wrap each bottle with one sheet and tape it in the middle. When I have a 22 oz or 750 ml bottle, I use two sheets, one for the bottom half and one for the top. I typically fold the loose ends at the top and bottom and secure them with tape. I buy boxes at Office Depot in the $2-$4 range.

I’ve seen people line the ends and sides of the box with foam rubber, bubble wrap, and/or crumpled up newspaper, either will work fine. I also wedge crumpled up newspaper in between bottles so nothing moves when the box is shook. I also use the 4- and 6-pack holders to separate the beers so they’re not knocking into each other. I’ve seen people use all kinds of stuff to ship beer, but remember that you’re liable if anything breaks, so it’s in your best interest to pack securely.

Shipping

Now for a little legal disclaimer: shipping beer may or may not be illegal. It is a violation of the terms of service for both UPS and FedEx, and it has been claimed that it is illegal to use USPS for shipping beer. I am not a lawyer, so if you’re worried about it, you might want to call one. That being said, I don’t know of any instance of a trader being prosecuted for trading beer.

You’ll want to open an online account with Fed Ex and/or UPS. Every trader has their preference, and there are horror stories for both. I go with the one that gives me the cheapest quote, which is usually FedEx. You want to use the online shipping service with a credit card, because it’s cheaper than going to a FedEx or UPS shipping center, and there’s nobody to ask any questions about the contents of the box online. They’ll even pick up the package from your house, but I drop mine off at a nearby hub.

Most people ship out on Mondays, because they don’t want to leave the beer sitting in a warehouse over the weekend. There’s no climate control in the trucks or the warehouses, so this argument is debatable. Many people avoid trading in the winter due to the risk that beer can freeze, and many avoid the summer because they believe the heat will damage the beer.

In the event of a broken bottle, there are three common responses from the shipping companies:

1. Deliver the soggy box as is. This is the one I’ve seen happen the most.
2. Repackage everything in a new box and send it back to you. You can expect a letter from their legal department afterwards, warning you that shipping beer is against their terms of service.
3. Repackage everything in a new box and send it to the original destination.

In order to avoid this, people will either wrap the bottles in bubble wrap, and then put them in zip-lock baggies, or line the entire box with a contractor grade trash bag and seal it shut. I don’t bother with either, because I’ve only had one broken bottle in a package that I’ve sent, and they still delivered the package. I’ve had broken bottles in about half of the trades I’ve received, and they were still delivered as well.

Wrapping Up

Trading is a fun and rewarding hobby, with plenty of reasons NOT to do it. It’s expensive, risky (broken bottles), and time consuming, but there’s no better feeling than cracking open a beer that you’ve wanted for a long time, and having it exceed your expectations. My only recommendation is to start small and work your way up. Don’t go for the white whales right off the bat, there’s plenty of regular beer that’s worthy of your attention. You’re guaranteed to make new friends, try new beer, and have a lot of fun.

Howard’s other articles in this series:

The Suds Swap Meet (1 of 5)

Beer Value and Ettiquette (2 of 5)

Getting Started (3 of 5)

Beer It Forward (4 of 5)

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BIF stands for Beer It Forward, which is just like the movie “Pay it Forward”, but with beer instead of good deeds. Sometimes they’ll allow new traders, but they usually require you have at least a little bit of trading history. The way these trades work is:

1. A user posts that they’re starting a new BIF. They will either lay out the rules, or they’ll look for other people’s input on what the rules should be. There is usually a minimum or maximum amount of beer per package, plus a theme like local beer only, >10% ABV beer only, beeradvocate.com Top 100 only, etc. Sometimes there are extras, like X number of beers and X number of cigars, or a T-shirt, or glassware, you get the idea.
2. Users sign up for the BIF by replying to the thread and asking if you can join in, or by sending a private message to the original poster.
3. A master list is compiled of all of the participants, including their user names, real names, addresses and phone numbers.
4. The person who started the BIF picks one person on the list and builds and ships a package within the constraints of the rules. You usually try to hit as many of their Wants as you can. They might give hints about where the package is going, but nobody knows for sure.
5. When that person receives the package, they pick a target from who is left on the list, and build and ship their package.
6. This continues until the last recipient gets their package, then they build and ship a package for the originator of the BIF.

All of the hops of the BIF are usually recorded on a website, so everybody can see who got what, and who’s left on the list to receive. There is also a sense of competition with these, because nobody wants to be outdone by the other participants, so the boxes keep getting bigger or loaded with more rare beer. These are the most fun for me; it’s like Christmas morning wondering if you’re the next stop, and what will be in the box when you open it!

You’ll see other types of trading opportunities in this forum as well. LIF stands for Lotto it Forward, which is where somebody is setting up a game with beer as the prize. The usual rules are that you’ve never had the beer they’re offering before, don’t have access to it, agree to review it, and will hold your own LIF in the future. I’ve seen stuff like “guess my daughter’s middle name”, “guess my favorite guitarist”, “guess how many miles I drove to Dark Lord Day”, and others.

GIF stands for Growler it Forward, which is exactly like BIF, but with growlers. They usually run these trades with assigned targets, so you know who you’re supposed to ship to and everybody ships around the same time.

There will also be Secret Santa and Secret Bunny opportunities, which are exactly like any other Secret Santa you may have been a part of, but with beer. You’ll be assigned a target, and have a shopping and shipping window to get your package out to your recipient.

Howard’s other articles in this series:

The Suds Swap Meet (1 of 5)

Beer Value and Ettiquette (2 of 5)

Getting Started (3 of 5)

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First, the technical data:
20º PLATO
74 IBU
75 AA
13º Lovibond
9.5% ABV

The elegance of simplicity drew me to this beer.  The simplicity of the ceramic bottle design first drew me in.  Upon further examination, the simplicity of the ingredients had me sold.  This beer is brewed using 100% 2-row Pipkin pale malt, which gives it the light golden-orange color.  It is truly triple-hopped with Saaz, Cascade, and NW Goldings.

Popping the cap, the sound of the CO2 coming out was musical.  It was a significant pressure release indicating a high amount of carbonation.  The beer poured a nice golden-orange color with a lacy, white head.  Beautiful.  This beer is unfiltered, so it is common to see a little yeast floating by.

Hops are the prominent feature of this beer.  The aroma was dominated by citrus, accented by floral notes.  Great aroma.  The Cascade hops really shine through in this beer.

The first taste of this beer was exhilarating.  The hops, prominently featured, were effortlessly balanced by the malt.  This beer is comes in at a healthy 74 IBU, but the bitterness is not overwhelming.  This is very a smooth Imperial IPA.  Beneath the hops, a healthy malt backbone.  It was slightly bready.  This beer has balance, lots of balance.

Overall, I really enjoyed this beer.  It is not nearly as aggressive as the Ruination IPA from Stone Brewing.  I also found it to be slightly smoother than Hophenge from Deschutes.  It’s an excellent example of one of my favorite styles.  It’s even better when you share it with a friend.

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Now enjoy his post…it’s pretty funny.

How Can You Tell?

by Vince Marotte
There are a few things that are unique to the American Christian community that you don’t see in the rest of the world and one of those things is the mixed view on drinking. In the United States, not only do a large number of Christians abstain from Alcohol, but there is a disturbing amount of Christians that do not even consider it a gray area, but downright sin.

This creates a unique situation for those of us who wish to follow in the steps of Christ and partake and share a drink.

How can you tell if the company you are in will stone you if you order a drink at dinner, or if you bring your favorite ale to a gathering? Let’s be honest, there are a lot of people out there that would look down on you for life if you just came out and asked if it was cool if you ordered a drink. So in the interest of being safe, which I hate, here’s how I play it…

There are a lot of things to consider here, but lets start with the biggest group of ‘weaker vessels’ and work our way down.

Are they white?
Abstainers are almost exclusively white. There are some exceptions, especially in the denominational area. Since the grounds for abstaining are very much a cultural thing and not a Biblical mandate, culture is the first place to start. If they are ethnic there’s a good chance you’re safe, and if they are immigrants to the United States, I’d say you’re good to go. If they are white, you’d best dig a little deeper.

Denominational affiliation
This has gotten tricky in the last ten years with the boom in non-denominational churches that are pretty conservative. Better dig deeper.

Calvary Chapel – No chance. In fact, I think it is the only litmus for spiritual health at Calvary Chapel. Stick with water.

Any Baptist sect – C’mon. Do you need to be told?

Presbyterian – There’s a good chance you are fine. You may need to dig a little deeper. While you’re at it, ask them if they’re still saved.

Methodist or any other liturgical sect – Green light. Since they wish they were Catholic anyway. They probably have real wine in the church.

Catholic – Let’s be honest, they will drink you under the table.

Charismatic – No. Two reasons. Either they are a part of a hyper conservative branch or they are or know someone that is recovering from something. Besides, they would rather get drunk on the Holy Ghost right?

Fine Tuning the Decision
These first steps might not be enough to make you feel comfortable ordering your favorite IPA at BJ’s, so you may need to dig a little deeper.

Music – Stir up a conversation about music, to make it quick, ask their opinion about Radiohead. If they dig Radiohead, you’re good to go if they aren’t familiar, then dig a little deeper. If they have not heard of them, take it farther. You may think their opinion of U2 would be a good indicator, not so. Besides, I’m sick of hearing about U2. Generally if they seem to be deflecting to ‘Christian’ music and not mentioning ’secular’ bands they dig, it’s a no go, order raspberry ice tea.

Movies – Again, make it quick. Ask them if they liked ‘Life Aquatic’. It’s a good movie to start with because if there is a chance they would be offended by it, then they haven’t heard of it and you can just move on and order a Shirley temple. Weather they liked it or not, if they have heard of it, they are probably in touch with reality and at this point you can just ask them straight up if it’s okay if you order a pint.

Yeah, it sucks to have to worry about this. But it’s the reality we live in. And let’s face it, we need these Christian brothers and sisters on our side, differences aside. This issue shouldn’t be one that divides us, that’s what Eschatology is for, right?

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